


Howl (when the wolves come out)

by TempestRising



Series: Omega Niall Series [2]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band), One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Harry, Alpha Liam, Alpha Zayn, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Attempted Murder, Beta Louis, Everyone Loves Niall, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Kidnapping, M/M, OT5, Omega Niall, Physical Abuse, this is pretty dark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-10-12 18:00:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10496496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TempestRising/pseuds/TempestRising
Summary: Can be read as stand-alone.When Niall is kidnapped in Amsterdam, Liam knows 3 things.1. Niall is an omega (his omega, in his pack)2. Kidnapped omegas are sold at auction (and raped to death)3. None of them will be able to live with themselves if they don't find Niall.





	

_who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat up smoking in the supernatural darkness of cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities contemplating jazz,  
ah, Carl, while you are not safe I am not safe, and now you’re really in the total animal soup of time— _

Allen Ginsberg

.***.

They knew Niall had been kidnapped because Calum screamed.

At first they didn't hear, or didn't listen. They were backstage at the biggest venue in Amsterdam, just done with the show, the whole One Direction pack sitting down for the first time in three hours. Harry was on his stomach on the floor while Louis rubbed his back. Zayn was almost asleep, Liam stroking his hair. They had to wait for the bulk of the crowd to dissipate before they could think about leaving.

Calum screamed again, and Liam stopped stroking, the Alpha standing up, every sense on alert. The 5 Seconds of Summer pack was comprised of betas and chill alpha Ashton, and though betas didn't cause the same stirring response as omegas, Liam was still obliged to investigate.

"'S just another prank," Zayn murmured, reaching out to pull Liam back down on the couch.

"It's not," Harry was on his feet, too, the youngest alpha rolling his shoulders. "It better not be, I'll kill them this time, I swear."

But on the other side of the door Calum's scream got louder. The majority of their team was striking the set - it was their last Amsterdam show,and they were hitting the road by noon. But the crew and security left backstage were already running in the direction of the scream. And Liam began running to, because Niall had slipped out of the room after their show to go hang with the emos down the hall.

Liam stopped moving when he saw Ashton emerge from the long hallway that led to the bathrooms. "Ash? Where's Niall?"

But Ashton ignored him, long legs covering the ground easily. So Liam followed.

Calum was already surrounded by Paul and a handful of other guards, but Ashton was in the process of extracting Calum from the circle. "It's okay, Cal, it's okay, he's alive, he's alive, he's breathing, hey, it's okay, shut up a second."

Liam's heart stopped. He couldn't see anything, just Ashton's back, Paul's back, the tight circle of black hoods and jeans. Who's alive?

It was Louis who parted the security. "Paul, get an ambulance." Louis snapped as he put a gentle hand on Calum's shoulder. Ashton was shoved back by another member of security who was trying to get someone''s heart rate. Michael's heart rate. The pink haired boy - just a boy, taller than most of One Direction but only a teenager - was bleeding so much Liam didn't know where the blood was coming from.

Liam could only gape. Calum was clutching Michael, his arms slung protectively around the guitarist's chest. "Don't touch him!" Calum snapped at Louis, who had a hand hovering over Michael's neck. "Ashton?" Calum sounded so young, and Liam felt guilt tug at his chest. They'd taken children with them on tour and look what happened. "Alpha?"

Liam stepped back so Ashton could get closer. The 5sos boys weren't really a pack, not in a getting-married-having-sex way like One Direction, and with three betas and an alpha they could almost ignore biology. Calum would only call Ashton 'alpha' if something was wrong.

"I'm here, Cal." Liam watched Ashton try to smile as he pushed Calum's sweat-soaked hair off his forehead. "Just hold Mikey for just a little while. He's okay. Help's coming."

"Calum?" Harry pushed forward and knelt next to Michael's prone body. "Cal, where's Niall?"

The beta's cheeks were wet and he rocked in a continuous motion, going from Ashton's embrace to bending over Michael's body and back again. Liam just stood there, so stunned he couldn't move. Because Michael was unconscious and bleeding, bleeding from the head in crimson rivers. Because Niall was no where to be seen. Because everything had been going so good and golden that Liam had been waiting for the other shoe to drop and here it was.

Liam moved on instinct, leaned forward and helped Ashton hug Calum. He could hear, distantly, Louis and Zayn arguing about whether to get an ambulance or a doctor. He pushed Calum towards Ashton's neck. "Let him scent you. I know you're not really his alpha but he needs you right now."

Ashton nodded Calum breathed in deep and Liam, hating that he had to do it, took the face of the beta who was just starting to breathe enough to speak. One hand holding Calum's chin, the other the top of his head. "Where is Niall, Calum? What happened?"

"And Luke?" Ashton chipped in. "Where's Luke?"

Zayn and Louis's argument was escalating; Liam stared into Calum's eyes; Ashton hovered close, his normally amiable expression replaces with stone; and Harry hovered over Michael. So Harry was the first one to notice Michael waking up.

It was a fluttering of the eyes, and then Michael wrenched free of Calum's grip, looking around wildly. "Where's Luke?" He grabbed Calum's arm. "Are you okay? Did they take Luke?"

Calum nodded, crying, leaning forward so that it was Michael's turn to hold onto him. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop them!" Calum's fists tightened on Michael's sleeves. "But when they hit you - I thought you were dead, they hit you so hard, and I looked away just for a second -"

"Doctor," Zayn said. Paul nodded and dialed.

"Who took Niall?" Liam asked, feeling very slow and very sick. "And Luke? What happened?"

But Calum had turned to look at Ashton. "I'm so sorry, alpha. I tried to stop them -"

"Where'd they go?" Ashton asked, standing up. Liam had always wondered how Ashton was an alpha. He was so even-keeled he could easily be a beta. But right now he understood, as the Australian alpha stood with clenched fists. When Calum pointed to one of the two back doors of the room, Ashton started running.

Liam glanced at Harry. Whether it was the bond or the band, they could communicate in eye twitches. Harry would stay with the betas, with his beta, and Liam would go.

He ran after Ashton, who stood in a mostly empty parking lot. The fans were kept on the other side of the venue. The only things here were trucks and more trucks. "Where are you going?" Liam demanded, grabbing Ashton's shoulder.

"Someone kidnapped Luke and Niall!" Ashton shoved Liam away. "I - fuck - I thought I could slip out when Niall came into the room. My shirt was ripped. I wanted a shower." Ashton let out a moan-groan-scream.

"It's not your fault, Ashton." Liam grabbed Ashton again because the other alpha looked like he was on the verge of hyperventilating. "Listen to me! It's not your fault. These kidnapping rings, they know what they're doing. If you'd been in the room you'd be dead, okay? It's a miracle Mikey's alive." Ashton sagged against Liam's embrace, so he kept talking. "I know how you feel. I want to find them, too. Niall's my bondmate. But we can't just run around. We need a plan."

Zayn stuck his head out the door. "Police are on their way."

"See? Police are on their way." Liam was reeling himself. How could he not feel Niall through their bond? What if he was in pain or worse? But they had no clue where to look. They were in a foreign country. And as Alphas... "Your betas need you."

Liam steered Ashton back inside, where Louis and Harry were prying more of the story out of Calum. Michael's gash was being tended to by Paul, and the pink haired boy was frighteningly pale. Liam felt gutted, like he was too flimsy to stand. He sagged and watched Ashton kneel and kiss Michael's new bandage. Watched him grab Calum's hand as the beta continued to talk.

"It'd be better if we could put them in subspace. They're both gonna pass out before the night's through." Zayn put a hand on Liam's arm. "Are you okay?"

"No," Liam spat. "Someone fucking took Niall because we fucking let him -"

"He was talking to friends down the hall. It was a safe situation we've done a thousand times," Zayn reminded. "You couldn't have known this would happen."

"Why didn't we feel it?"

Zayn grabbed Liam's hands. "Doctor's gonna need to see you next if you keep that up. No scratching yourself, Liam. Niall will kill you when he finds out."

"If we find him."

There was a sound. Liam looked up in time to see Michael droop into Ashton's arms. "Subspace would be nice," Liam agreed. "But you know the only betas who respond to it are -"

He cut himself off. He'd been wondering why kidnappers would take Luke, too. The black market catered in omegas who were easily controlled and sold. But Luke responded to commands almost as easily. If someone had come in and commanded Niall, Luke would have submitted, too. Liam knew because Louis was the same way.

Liam glanced at Louis, who had pressed himself up against Harry. "No need to say it," Zayn murmured. "He'll figure it out soon enough."

Liam turned away from Zayn's grip and pounded his fists against the wall. Harry was suddenly next to him, his gentle face a storm. "Mikey passed out again. Calum looks like he's about to drop." He ran a hand through his hair. "Do you feel Niall, Li?"

"No," Liam snapped. He regretted the tone when he saw Harry's face fall. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just..." Liam squeezed h is eyes shut. "What if he's dead? What if he dies because we don't find him and -" he couldn't say it, couldn't imagine Niall as one of those betas on the news, raped to death.

"We'll find him," Harry said, firmly. "Come on, the police are here."

.

They ended up in a secondary municipal complex, far from the main hospitals and police stations where paps could find them. Here, there were firefighter bunks and police jail cells and even a small medical wing where Michael had been asleep for the past five hours. It was three in the morning and Harry rubbed his eyes, couldn't remember feeling more tired or more wide awake. "Louis, please sit, babe."

"How can you sit?" Louis snarled. He always lashed out when he was tired or angry, and now he was both. "You have to feel something through that bond! Who knows what's happening to Niall and -"

Harry stumbled to his feet. Sometimes this is how it needed to be between them. "Don't you dare say that like I don't care what's happening to Niall. You know I'd do anything for him! But until morning, when the rain lets up, we should sleep and -"

"Classic Harry answer," Louis sneered. "Let's wait until it all pans out. Never mind that Niall's dead as soon -"

The slap Harry delivered was backhanded and hard enough to send Louis reeling into a bench. He heard Paul mutter behind him _let them fight it out._

And so they did. Louis pounced on Harry, who may be bigger but never thought to fight dirty. The beta started by pulling his alpha's curls. Harry rolled so that his bigger frame was on top and Louis shoved him.

They needed this, the catharsis of bruises and blood, because if Louis didn't roll on the ground he'd be left with his thoughts, which were dark and cold. He slammed Harry's head into a wall and was lifted up by a muscled arm. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Louis cringed. It took a lot for Liam to curse, and that tone - as if Louis was nothing more than a misbehaving child. As if Liam had any right to scold him. He was caught in Liam's hand like a kitten in its mother's mouth, by the scruff of his neck, but he squirmed anyway. "You're gonna wake the whole building, and I just got Zayn and Ashton to settle down. We need to conserve our energy, not use it to turn on each other!"

"He started it," Louis said, mulishly. He glared at Harry. Just because they loved each other didn't mean they were above hating each other once in a while.

Liam set Louis back on his feet. "Yeah, I saw." The Alpha turned his attention to Harry, raising an eyebrow. "So, you hit him."

"He was being a brat!" Harry whined, rubbing his eyes. God, he was tired. He glanced at Louis, who wasn't even looking at him, rubbing the his cheek, blinking at the floor.

"Was it a punishment you both agreed on? Or did you hit him out of anger?"

Harry had a good two inches on Liam but he cringed anyway. It's part of what he agreed to when he became part of the pack - that they would check and balance each other. "Um, yeah. The second one."

Liam suddenly yawned, hiding his face in the too-big sweater Zayn had brought for him from the bus. "Normally I'd separate you for the day, Harry. Put you on another bus and ban you from pack activities." Liam rubbed a fist in one eye and suddenly looked very young, the floppy-haired boy Harry had met three years ago. "But I can't do this without you, either of you, I just can't, so just apologize and -"

Harry and Louis wrapped Liam in a sandwich hug and the Alpha let out a wet sob. "Sorry, Payno," Louis said, his face buried in Liam's neck. "Sorry, Alpha, sorry," Harry hugged Liam tight, and sank to his knees in front of the Alpha.

Liam stared at him like he didn't understand why an alpha would submit. And then he bit Harry's neck, his jaws tight enough for Harry to let out a soft whine. He kissed Harry's pale neck softly, covered it in kisses. "Niall," he sobbed every time he planted one. "Niall. Niall."

"He has a beta with him," Louis pointed out. "Luke's instincts will kick in."

Harry and Liam pulled away, Harry's bond mark bright on his skin. They glanced at each other in that infuriating way that made Louis wonder how much he was missing by not being able to bond with his own pack. "Luke's dead," Liam said, quietly. "They'll have figured out he's not an omega. And he's been hitting the gym. He's enormous. They'd kill him before he could get any ideas."

Louis slashed the air. "You don't know that!" He remembered finding 5sos on YouTube, knowing the Aussies only through the screen and the covers. And perhaps that was easier, before he found out that Luke could quote Mean Girls from start to finish and voted for McDonald's every time because he wanted to go on the playground, before Louis learned that Luke stole every article of clothing - shirts, hats, underwear - from everyone around him, showing up at breakfast in Louis's own sweatshirt that he thought he lost cities ago. "Look, everyone always gets down on betas but Luke's smart. And he'll take care of Niall."

"No he won't," Harry reminded Louis softly. "Niall's going to try to take care of him."

Louis watched Harry's hand drift up to his shoulder, where Niall's bond mark rested on a rare patch of un-tattooed skin. "Still can't feel him?" Louis asked. All the alphas had their thing. Liam was level-headed enough to dole out punishments, keeping the beta and omega part of the pack in line; Zayn was ace at subspace, just pressed once, twice, there; and Harry felt things deeply. He even read Louis's mind, and they didn't have ancient bonds connecting them together.

"It's - weird. It feels kind of like he's asleep. But also like he's sick." Harry shook his head. "It's just a lot of buzz. Like static on the radio."

"But you know he's alive," Louis pressed. "He's definitely alive?" He hadn't let himself contemplate the alternative. That their silly sunny guitar-playing food-eating champ could possibly be dead. That he, Louis, would have to spend a lifetime forgetting the way Niall had brought them all together.

Harry stared at him. "Yeah," the youngest said, slowly. "Yeah, he's alive."

.

The next morning the police raided the usual black market rings, the abandoned warehouses and sewers, the mansions and airports. They found twelve omegas chained together in a basement. They found a beautiful alpha stud who didn't speak English or Dutch or Italian or Spanish or German or any language anyone knew, who screamed words no one could understand when shown pictures of Niall and Luke.

Michael cursed from his bed, where he'd been threatened with handcuffs if he got up again. He was still pale, and beneath the swears was a current of fear everyone picked up on. When he wasn't screaming he was talking to Calum and Louis. "It's beta business," Louis informed Harry when the alpha asked. "Like you don't let me and Ni in on alpha meetings."

"This isn't a time for secrets, Lou," Liam snapped. He had one eye on Paul, who had somehow become director of this rescue operation, god help them. The other eye was on his phone. The world had figured out what had happened and, according the impersonal email he'd gotten an hour ago from Twitter, his name and his omega's name had been mentioned ten million times in the last twelve hours. Congratulations. He'd told the fans, the lovely, gung-ho girls, to stay away from the investigation. _I neverr want to telll peopple what to do but if u re a omega PLEASe be careful._

And, in another tweet: _Thankks for all the support form alll over the world ! We will bring Niall home safe !_

#BringNiallHome was trending worldwide within the hour.

He'd already fielding calls from all the mums (except Maura, but she hadn't been in contact for ages, since Niall was banned from home and from perhaps all of Ireland for being exactly who he was) but he did receive an unexpected text from Niall's brother Greg. Please keep me updated, I'm praying for my brother. Keep him safe. Liam had stared at the text, then replied with ok.

He'd gotten four hours of sleep, had gone with the police on one of the raids, listened to the beautiful alpha speak gibberish, left Zayn to keep Ashton sane, and talked to a sharp, anxious Simon Cowell. He was in no mood for secrets.

"It sounds silly with all this going on, is all," Louis muttered. "And you better cross your heart not to tell." Before they could cross Louis barreled ahead. "Apparently Ashton's in love with Luke. Proper in love. But Luke hasn't a clue and Ashton's feeling like a pedo since Luke's not eighteen yet."

"Damn," Liam's lips twitched into a smile for the first time all morning. "I hate when Zayn's right."

"He guessed?" Louis asked. "How did he guess? I thought it was Luke and Mikey."

"Poor Ashy," Harry sighed, pressing Louis against his side like he hoped to meld into one person. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, Louis. Losing Niall's like losing my head. I think you'd be losing my heart."

"Write that down," Liam ordered. "There's a song there."

"You guys are thinking about songs?" Ashton had a bucket of sandwiches that he slammed down on the table. "Fans," he said when Louis raised an eyebrow. Then he rounded on the alpha. "You're writing songs when my -"

"Our boyfriend's out there too, so watch your mouth," Louis warned.

Ashton just slumped over the table, picking a sandwich at random. "Luke's dead, isn't he?" Ashton spoke to the table, his accent thick with tears. "I called Mama Hemmings this morning. Last night. I don't know. The only flight she can get is tomorrow and I'm gonna have to show her a casket.

"Ashton..." Harry began, because the drummer was shaking so hard the sandwich slipped out of his hands.

But Ashton just shook his head and took out another sandwich, his face illuminated green by the light of his phone as he scrolled and scrolled. If the world knew Luke was missing they didn't care. He wasn't trending. He was just another beta in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ashton's mouth pursed into a thin line as he Tweeted that, obviously, the shows were cancelled until Niall was found. Sorry girls. See you real soon.

.

Their location hadn't been found out yet, thank god, but both bands were vibrating with the need to join the investigation. "Too dangerous," everyone said. "We'd be worrying about you out in the crowds when we need to be worrying about Niall and Luke. No, sorry, betas can't go outside. Even for McDonalds. Alphas, stick together. Buddy system."

So everyone was drawn and pale and tired from the anxiety and the guilt and the grief and the need to see their friends and boyfriend and mate and almost everyone dozed as the hours ticked past one, two, three o'clock am. When the phone rang at four in the morning, Liam, who had fallen asleep with one arm around Louis's neck, the other tangled in Harry's hair, cracked open one eye. A young police officer manning the graveyard shift answered in Dutch, but the word "beta" was the same in every language.

Liam stood carefully, nudging Harry to hold Louis. He made sure the couple were definitely 100% asleep before whispering to the young officer, "Someone found Luke?"

The officer's face was sad when he nodded, and Liam knew.

He went down the hall to the med wing. Put a hand on Ashton's shoulder, motioning for him to be quiet as he gently extracted himself from his remaining betas. "Luke?" Ashton asked when they got out to the hall.

Liam didn't know what to say and left Ashton blinking in the dark as he asked, then begged the officer, also an alpha, to let them come along. They could get out inconspicuously. They needed to be there. They needed to know.

After some heated whispers where Liam was sure someone would wake up, it was decided that Paul, Liam, and Ashton could accompany Officer Bram along to collect the body.

Liam left a note in case his pack woke up and found him missing, too, and then hurried after the rest of the group as the jogged to a black SUV. "Collect the body?" Ashton asked when they got in the car.

Liam's skin had goose pimpled in the cool fall air and he rubbed his arms, not able to meet Ashton's eyes.

"Oh," the other alpha said.

"Maybe -"

"Oh," but it wasn't really a word this time, it was like all the breath had rushed out of Ashton's body at once.

They were moving now and Liam had to blink hard. He patted Ashton's knee. "We'll find him," he promised. Because it was the very least they could do.

They flew through the morning streets. There were a surprising number of people out in the Amsterdam streets - surprising, Liam reminded himself, but if Niall and Luke were here, safe and sound, he'd be a part of it. Louis usually had a partner in crime and this month it was Liam who climbed over walls with him and scaled buildings and jumped around in clubs and flirted endlessly with girls or stopped Louis from flirting endlessly with guys and by now, by four am, they'd be hunting around for some dive with the best hotdogs or tacos, someplace where the music was tuned to something softer than dubstep and club tunes, and every once in a while when they were ready to stumble home they'd hear one of their own songs on a foreign radio station and they'd grin at each other as they floated out to the street and wandered to whatever was home this week, chatting about writing that song, or performing it, or the many times they'd sung that song in Asia and America and all over the world, and Liam would throw his head up to whatever neon-splattered sky they were under and wonder if anyone anywhere in the world felt as good as he did, with his best friend, his beta, by his side and the bond marks pulsing contentment under his skin.

Niall would often join them on those little excursions, and on the nights Niall was there, you knew it was going to be a good one. The omega didn't like clubs but adored the tiny bars, the ones squeezed between bigger bars, the ones that sold beer for prices so low Liam knew the place had to be a front for the local mob or mafia or cartel, but it was in these bars that Niall would become the life of the party, grandpas buying him drinks, teenagers with too much makeup matching him shot for shot, and when the bar closed at midnight at the clubs where still open they'd do Louis's night, the VIP sections of clubs where their security stood ten feet away, the back rooms where Liam could stand right next to Niall and his boyfriend would still be teased, propositioned, threatened, and Louis would come back from dancing and fight whatever prick was messing with the omega, and it would always be a spectacular fight, and Liam would eventually jump into the fray and Niall would be scooped up by Alberto and hauled out to the alley, where Liam and Louis would come tumbling out minutes later, and their bond marks would be pulsing fire and blood and Harry and Zayn, who liked quieter things, who slept or went to coffee houses or house parties, would come running from wherever they were in town and they'd kiss Niall, who would always be the most banged up even though he was forbidden to fight, and then it'd be all five of them, the whole gorgeous pack, walking in a knot through town, winding their way back to start.

And Liam must have said this out loud as they passed the parade of men and women going home, because Ashton, who was looking at his hands, chipped in: "When we used to play gigs around Sydney, I was the only one with a driver's license. Luke would always sit in the passenger seat so Calum and Michael could curl up in the back."

"Are they -" Liam began, before he remembered it wasn't any of his business.

Ashton shrugged. "I'm pretty sure they were, but I don't know. I think everyone falls a little bit in love with their best friends."

Liam gently untangled the other's alpha's fingers before he could break them. "You know, you can be more than a little bit in love. You can be a lot in love. That's okay, too. It's how it happened for us."

Ashton blinked hard, his eyes like saucers reflecting back the late lights of the town. "He's just a kid. He shouldn't be," he fisted one hand and shook his head. "He shouldn't be here."

And Liam was seventeen again, back in the X-Factor house and listening to Louis say the same thing, except the Tommo was nearly nineteen and Harry was just sixteen, three years between them to Ashton's two, and though back then Louis was his sworn enemy, it was still Liam's bed the beta climbed into. "I hope he's an omega," Louis would say after slapping Liam a few times for his crap advice. "Then I can just take care of him forever." They two bumbled their way into a relationship not soon after, before the end of the X-Factor live shows, and Harry presented a few months later, and though he wasn't an omega Louis still took care of him, because he'd sworn long ago that Harry was his to protect.

"This is the place," officer Bram said quietly, his accent making the words sound like they'd arrived at a fair.

"Stay here," Paul barked, but Ashton was already out the door.

It was one of those open-air sex clubs - Liam didn't know what else to call them. Zayn had pointed one out when they first drove in, the way men jostled under the marquis to see on stage two people, usually an alpha and omega male/female pair, having sex. They'd spent a good half hour arguing about whether or not it was faked.

Paul grabbed Liam's arm and officer Bram ran ahead. They were under the marquis and the only light was the neon spilling in from outside, Bram's flashlight, and the bobbing whir of Ashton's cell phone. "I don't see him!"" Ashton's voice echoed in the dark room, and a shiver ran down Liam's spine. This felt wrong, the grey dark pressing against his skin, and he'd never really understood Niall's claustrophobia until now. "I don't see him! I -"

The phone clattered and there was a noise like a rip in the fabric of space, and Liam closed his eyes and walked.

Luke was curled around himself, unnaturally small. Liam felt bile rise up in the back of his throat - the youngest boy's throat was slit, blood gushing from ear to ear. Ashton pulled the beta onto his lap and brushed damp hair away from the boy's face. Put an ear to Luke's mouth. And the rip roar noise stopped. "Oh my god, he's still alive."

.

They found it all out over the course of several hours, after there was another argument about where to bring the beta and it was decided that the same hospital wing Michael was treated at would be best, even though he needed surgery. So they went back to the municipal complex where Liam was grabbed by Zayn as soon as he walked in the door "you left!" the tan boy roared. "You didn't even leave a fucking note!"

Everyone was awake, their team and the bands and security and police officers and doctors and everyone came running to see Luke. Ashton carried the boy protectively in his arms and beckoned only Michael and Calum to follow him.

Zayn looked ready to murder Liam, his eyes red-rimmed, but Harry and Louis were stunned with disbelief. "Luke's alive."

"They slit his throat," Liam growled, and Louis ducked his head as the alpha's voice filled the waiting room. "He could never talk again. He could never sing. But yeah, I guess he's alive." Harry had an arm around Louis, who had bared his throat. "Sorry," he muttered, because he was. He hated making his pack submit. He kissed Louis's neck and bit it softly. Lifted his eyes to Zayn. "Do you keep thinking of every bad thing we did to Niall? Because I do."

The rest of the band shifted uncomfortably. Their fans called them the perfect pack, but they were just dumb kids. Louis was known for taking pranks too far, for not knowing where the line was and frustrating or annoying or snapping at everyone around him, his expression icy cold. And every couple months some gossip rag would write that Liam was a domineering Alpha so he wouldn't touch Niall for days. Wouldn't look at him. Wouldn't grab his hand in crowds. And another time - it took a lot to piss off Harry, who was fairly even-keeled, but once, after a long, hot day and a long, hot show, Niall and Louis had been grumbling and complaining about not getting the first shower and Harry had hit Niall hard across the face. And Zayn could hold grudges for so long that often Niall would honestly forget what he did wrong; once his bimonthly heat came on fast, as they were leaving their last show before a week-long break, and had turned to Zayn to ask him for help, and Zayn had snorted and walked away.

Liam didn't often brood, but as the rest of the boys lapsed into silence, straining to hear the frantic operation inside the adjoining room, he thought that if he was asked, right now, if he'd rather be in One Direction and meet his soulmates and travel the world and make money for having fun or be making airplanes knowing Niall was alive and free - if he was asked that he'd give everything he had, everything he was made of, to have Niall back safe and sound.

He only stopped brooding when Michael and Calum came out of the operating room hours later and hugged him. "Is he okay?" Louis asked immediately.

"Should be fine," Calum still sounded a little teary. "The cut was pretty deep, but it was a miracle - didn't hit his voice box or aorta. So when he wakes up -"

"When he wakes up," Michael took up the train, "he should be able to tell you where Niall is."

Somehow in all his brooding Liam hadn't thought about that. "You think?"

Michael nodded. "The kidnappers thought they killed Luke, so - I mean, according to the crime shows - he should have seen their faces. The places they went."

Zayn cleared his throat. "And he's not hurt - elsewhere. He's not - "

The betas looked at their feet. "They're collecting evidence now. He hasn't woken up but Ashton thinks it'll be easier - if he was - you know - it might be easier to not have to be awake while they do that." Calum's face had the ability to look immensely sad.

Zayn sank to the floor. They'd all known, intellectually, what the black market rings were for. That omegas, especially famous omegas, were raped to death. That's what the news always said - raped to death - and Liam had tried to spend the last twenty-four hours not thinking about those words. He let Louis deal with Zayn. "Where's Luke's mum?"

"Stuck in Sydney. Apparently her flight was cancelled," Michael looked murderous. "But we got hold of her. Told her Luke's gonna be okay. She'll be out here tomorrow or the day after. Dunno. Can never keep time zones straight."

"But he's alive?" Harry asked earnestly. "He's really gonna be okay?"

The betas breathed out for what looked like the first time in hours. And just as they were smiling a scream came from the medical wing, a high, arching scream that made everyone go running.

Ashton was holding Luke down as the youngest boy thrashed on the bed, snarling, his lanky frame almost too large, too long, his legs sticking out, out, out. "No! No! No! Niall!"

"Lukey, babe, you're okay, you're -"

"Niall! Get off him! No no no no - help!"

"Luke -"

Louis elbowed Ashton out of the way. "Get out of here, all of you. Alphas, leave. Now." Louis even glared at the doctor until the native slunk away, leaving Louis, Calum, Michael, and Luke alone in the sanitized room. Louis glanced at the other betas, who looked bewildered. "Yeah, you guys can't feel it, but I can and I guarantee you Luke can. Alphas all up in our space, crowding him. And he's been hurt bad." Louis snapped his fingers under Luke's nose. "Love, I need you to focus on me. Come on, love. Come on. There's the pretty eyes I know. Hey, Luke, we need to find Niall -"

But Luke was shaking his head again, so violently that Louis couldn't helped but be reminded on that ghost in Harry Potter, the one who had his head almost all the way chopped off. Bandaged neatly covered the scar that nearly severed Luke in two.

"Luke?" Michael had climbed into bed next to the youngest member of his band, curling against Luke's back and hugging him so tight Louis thought that Luke was liable to break in half.

"They hurt him," Luke's voice was muffled, his eyes closed tight. "They -"

"Hey hey hey, we just want to make sure you're okay."

But Luke's eyes were all the way open. Even though his face wasn't pressed to anything, his voice was scratchy and soft and Louis wondered just how close to his voicebox his throat had been slit. He'd never felt worse, kneeling down so he was at Luke's eye level. "Hey, love."

"Don't even start," Michael sounded harsh and strangled. "Not now, Louis, I swear to god."

Calum cleared his throat. "Mikey, Luke's fine. He's here. Niall..."

Luke gasped a shaky breath and Louis squeezed his own eyes shut. "I wouldn't be talking to you if there was another way. I'd let you sleep. Let you get cuddled by your pack. But Luke, love, you're the only one who knows where he might be. If you saw anything - anything at all - we can find Niall. And bring him back here, nice and safe."

"They hurt him," Luke said again, swiping at the tears streaming down his face. "They - and he didn't even fight back. Didn't say anything. When they hurt me - it was like he didn't know me or didn't _care_ and -"

"Of course he cares about you," Michael snapped. "He would never let -"

"He did though!" Luke tried to shout but it was like his voice gave out, back to a whisper, and the poor boy's tears came thick and fast. "It was like he was asleep. He didn't talk to me. He just did whatever they said."

And Louis put it together, and felt like he'd been punched. "He was in subspace, Luke. Someone must have given him a command that put him into subspace. You can really take advantage of an omega that way. You can - I told my alphas that if they ever commanded Niall like that we'd leave and go far, far away because it can hurt him so bad."

Luke stared at him, and then nodded, slowly. "They did. They really hurt him. And he didn't even care."

Louis stroked Luke's hair, gently. He knew that even if the other members of 5sos weren't "really a pack" they'd still rip his throat out for bothering the youngest when he was in so fragile a state. "We need to find him. Please help me find him. Do you remember anything - at all - anything?"

The boy, cuz he was only a boy, plunged into fame before he was old enough to legally drink, before he knew enough to say no, the boy big his lip, and nodded. "If you get me some paper," Luke whispered, "I think I can draw you a map."

.

When Louis left the room he took one look at the alphas' worried faces and vomited on Zayn's shoes.

.

You're imagining it already, the ring that put the most famous omega in the world up for auction. That tested him out beforehand, one after the other, putting the whole thing on tape to watch later, over and over again, how the omega didn't even react, bleached blond hair bouncing and falling in the shadowy light.

The One Direction pack were imagining it. How Niall, who shrugged off hate, who put his hand in Liam's and went through crowds with his head high, who had no reason at all to be sunny and was anyway, was being raped over and over and over again somewhere in this godforsaken city. If your picture was terrible the pack was picturing it way, way worse.

But the truth is more horrible than fiction.

Luke pointed them to the place where Niall was being put on auction. After he was bought he'd be raped repeatedly. He would die during it, or he would die afterwards, from neglect, from a man's hand around his neck. The auction was up to tens of millions of dollars. One Direction weren't allowed on the raid. They were in the van, the alphas, Louis shouted down by Harry and eventually commanded to stay behind. The alphas were sandwiched between Paul and officer Bram, noses to the window.

Niall was carried out and placed very, very carefully on a stretcher in the back of the van. Niall blinked at them. Like he didn't even know them. And Zayn pulled the omega onto his lap and murmured soft words as they sped through the city, and eventually Niall's gaze became more focus. "Oh," he said, the word a breath. "There you are, boys, I been worried about you."

And Liam couldn't help it. The Alpha burst into tears.

.

Louis attacked them when they walked in the door, a wild animal. "The fuck you thinking commanding me to fucking stay behind like some damsel in the distress. We've got enough commands this week, eh? And he's my boyfriend too! He's - oh, Niall. Oh, Nialler."

He wrapped Niall in a bone-crushing hug. Zayn had draped a jacket around Niall's bruised shoulders, but other than that he was naked. "You okay, Tommo? Let up a bit."

"If you think I'm ever letting go of you again you've got another think coming," Louis growled, but he did let go to round on Harry, who had the decency to look distraught. "You and I are going to have a talk, _alpha_."

"Can you two skip to the kissing and making up part?" Zayn sighed. "We've got something more important to focus on."

Niall looked confused. "What's more important than watching these two fight it out again?" But even as he spoke Niall looked down at his lacerated skin. "Why've I got your jacket, Z?" He looked at his skin thoughtfully. Harry and Liam were literally growling at anyone who came close, even Paul and 5sos and Lou. Niall rubbed his forehead and locked eyes with Louis. "Hey, can we talk?"

"Niall, maybe we should head down -" Liam began.

Zayn elbowed him. "Later. He doesn't have to deal with that now," He hissed so softly that even Niall couldn't hear. Then, louder. "Hey, Tommo, why don't you and Niall go get cleaned up."

Niall opened his mouth, then snapped it closed, turning to Louis with eyes wide and confused. "Alright then."

A doctor stepped forward, the same short bespectacled woman who'd stitched Michael closed. "Alphas, he really should get a kit -"

"Later," Zayn hissed.

"But - evidence -"

Niall was following the conversation, eyes moving between the darkest alpha and the beta who reeked of doctor's duty. He would have stayed and stared longer, but another beta came forward, a geeky looking guy no older than the One Direction pack, and whispered something about having all the evidence they need. "What -" Niall began, but Louis's square hand was already on the small of his back, steering him away.

The omega sat on the edge of the tub. For a municipal complex, Amsterdam was well-equipped with a master suite near the firetrucks. It wouldn't be long now before the fans began to gather outside. It wouldn't be long until the whole world knew that a three-alpha pack, a security team, and locked doors couldn't stop Niall from being kidnapped.

But damn if Louis was going to be the one to break the news. He was busy under the sink, looking for soap, or bubbles. He found lavender, a smell that always reminded him of Harry, who smelled of flowers. "Lou?" Niall asked, all soft. "Did I do something wrong?"

Louis hit his head on the sink, he got up so fast. "What? No!"

"It's just -" Niall pressed determinedly forward. "I feel like I've been in subspace? Like, all achy and whatever. And I know that, like, Zayn puts me under if I've been acting up. But - usually I know why. I can, like, remember, and think about the reason while I'm all floaty in 'space. But I don't remember? I just remember the show, and I went down to talk to the boys - was that bad? Cuz, like, I know Liam gets all alpha around Ash, but he don't need to be jealous."

"Niall, no -"

"And I've been trying, cuz I know I get put in subspace if, like, I complain about me knees or what have you, or if I get mad or frustrated. So I've been trying to be nice. But I slip up, you know? Me Irish comes out." He rubbed his ass absentmindedly. "Did we have sex? I just don't -"

Louis couldn't take it anymore. He dumped the lavender in the steadily filling steamy water, made the whole faux marble room a sauna. And he hugged Niall, so fierce on the edge of the tub. He'd been worried for so long, thinking through all the worst-case what-ifs, the worst being, of course, to find Niall dead and gone, forever knowing he'd gotten the love of his life killed. And now Niall was in front of him and thought it was something he'd done?

"No no no," Louis's words came out all in a rush. "Oh, love, no. You were in subspace, okay? And you got hurt, and if it's anyone's fault it's ours for not protecting you better. Because you're hurt but we're going to make it better now, love. And we're gonna start by getting in this bath."

Niall nodded into his shoulder, and somehow they slipped down into the suds, Louis's clothes discarded on the floor, Niall's long gone. For a long time Louis just washed Niall's hair, grime and dirt coming away, turning the bath a dirty grey. He emptied the tub and filled it again, humming anything that came to mind. Green Day. Fleetwood Mac. Their own songs, the ones that they sang for each other. 18. Alive.

Niall hummed along with him, doing his own parts, counter melody and harmony. The omega scooped the bubbles into the approximation of a castle, and Louis had never felt his heart break like this.

"'S Luke okay?" Niall asked after the tub had been refilled for the third time and they were both unable to move, Louis hugging Niall close to his chest. "I remember - I think I remember Luke not being okay."

Louis couldn't commit himself to an answer. Luke had been raped. Repeatedly. Someone or someones had tried to kill him. He could barely talk, let alone sing. And he'd led them to Niall. Had tried to keep Niall safe. "He will be," Louis said, at last. Because he owed the younger boy at least that much. The promise of recovery.

"You know," Louis said, since they were talking about things. "I didn't realize the alphas put you under whenever you complain or, like, have any emotions. I didn't notice. I bet they didn't notice. I bet they think they're doing the right thing." He kissed Niall's hair, finally clean and smelling of flowers. "Why didn't you tell them to knock it off?"

Niall shrugged. He didn't have to say it. It was the omega's biggest fault, feeling like if he spoke out against his pack he'd be kicked out. He was by no means a pushover, but Niall was far too likely to choose pack harmony over his own emotional and physical well-being.

And this was on Louis too. He'd promised Niall, the pack, himself, when they'd first started this relationship, that he, Louis, would be the one to protect Niall. That he'd take the omega away if there was a hint that he was being mistreated. "I'm sorry," Louis murmured.

"Not your fault," Niall murmured, pushing the bubbles around and around the tub.

.

Louis let Niall change into a sweatshirt and sweatpants that swamped him while the beta left the bathroom, because he could give Niall this much privacy. He nodded at Paul, who was standing outside with a couple of police officers. Asked him to keep an eye on Niall, to guard him with his life, and Paul just reached out and gave Louis a hug. "Hey, it's over now."

And Louis tried to believe that, head swimming, as he went to find Liam.

The Alpha was in a room with the rest of the pack, and Louis looked curiously at the screen they were all staring at. "What the hell is this?" Louis squawked, turning away from the screen. It wasn't porn. It was - rape, torture, terrible, men crowded around Niall who was limp as a doll. Men doing things to his boyfriend who couldn't even put up a fight.

"It's the evidence," Harry said, his voice surprisingly even. "It's why Niall doesn't need to go through the rape kit."

Officer Bram had become their personal police officer, and cleared his throat. Louis was surprised the alphas had let another alpha watch this. "We have these men. They will be in jail for a long, long time. I promise you."

But Louis didn't want to hear it. These men had inevitably hurt more people than just Niall, just Luke. They must have been running this kidnapping ring for months, years, to have the process so well oiled. He grabbed Liam's arm and dragged him out of the room.

"Why aren't you with Niall?" the Alpha asked, looking over his shoulder at the screen flashing those horrible images over and over again.

"He's getting changed. Thought he deserved some privacy. Look - he doesn't remember it, okay? He doesn't remember a damn thing from the last couple days. Just the show. So let's not remind him, yeah?" He looked pointedly at the screen. "No need to have that on while he's around."

"He doesn't remember it?" Liam's eyes wide, bags underneath. He must be so tired. "How - I mean, that's good. Probably that's good. No reason for him to - but why?"

"He was in subspace. You know how he gets. Loses time." Louis wasn't about to scrutinize this boon from the universe. "Just spread the word, okay? Everyone can still come and say hi to Niall, but no one mentions a damn word about kidnapping, alright?"

"Alright," Liam agreed immediately. "But - there's going to be a trial. An investigation."

Louis heaved a sigh. "So let's get out of this city. We're in the middle of a tour. Let's get the show on the road."

Liam's whole face brightened. He would never be the one to think about ditching in the middle of a crisis, but it was one of Louis's go-to strategies. "Do you think we can?"

"I dunno. I mean, Niall really does seem fine. But - maybe a week in London. Regroup. Hold a press conference or two." Louis bit his lip. "Niall's gonna have to know what happened. So let's start dealing with that."

Liam nodded eagerly. "Oh yeah, yeah. That sounds good. Me mum is going crazy anyway, don't know about yours. Cries on the phone. Can't get a word out, she's crying so hard. It'll be good for her to see Niall. She's expecting a baby any day now."

"Maybe after the wedding."

Niall's voice was quiet, but it was definitely Niall. Easy-going guitar playing constantly laughing fanboy Niall. Louis glanced up and made sure that - yes, okay, the screen was off. Harry and Zayn coming out as Liam launched himself at the omega, wrapping him in a hug so fierce it looked like Niall may never get out of the embrace.

"Nice to see you too, Leemo." Niall extracted himself from the hug more easily than Louis had imagined, the blond boy frowning. "When'd you start hurting yourself again?"

Liam had been carving into his arms since Niall went missing. It had gotten bad. Liam felt things deeply, as Alpha. He'd scratch himself until he bled if he thought he hurt any of them, if poking fun at Zayn or Harry turned to them frowning, if he held Louis in one of his famous headlocks for too long. But since Niall had disappeared it had been worse. Louis had found him in one of the municipal complex's bathrooms, drawing a blade over his skin, over and over again, the blood rivulets down his arms.

The Alpha couldn't seem to answer, just stared at his arms as if they weren't his own. "Hey," Niall murmured. "If I'm not allowed to hurt myself you aren't either." He nudged an elbow into Liam's ribs and was pulled into Harry's arms.

Louis should have told Harry first, to try to keep it on the down-low. Harry pressed kiss after kiss into Niall's neck, blinking fast. But he couldn't stop the tears from escaping.

"Hiya, Harry." Niall turned into the alpha, pressed his face into Harry's neck. When Harry squeezed tighter the omega took a step back, rubbing his neck. "Alright, it's nice to see you too, but," he looked at each alpha in turn, gaze lingering on Zayn, who was holding himself back from the tight knot of the pack. "Um, what happened? Cuz, like, I know I've been in subspace, but -"

Louis reminded himself to have a conversation with the pack about subspace. Niall had been against it from the time he presented, wary of being away from the world while his pack, his band, his boyfriends remained present and conscious. Yet subspace was used frequently and, now that Louis thought about it, was always employed when Niall was being negative. Grumping about breakfast or muttering about his knee or complaining about Liam being a totalitarian dictator. The alphas would press that place that made the omega pliant, that sent him far, far below the surface, and, poof, negativity gone.

It was wrong. But it wasn't what he could worry about now.

Harry put a hand around Niall's waist. It wasn't just them in the secluded hallway, of course. Security lingered at the end of the hall. Lou and Lux settled in chairs at the other end. The entire production had been put on hold, musicians and stage managers and light guys and everyone, everyone holding their breath to make sure, make quite sure that Niall was alive and whole. Niall wasn't just theirs, as much as they'd like him to be. He belonged to the tour family. Belonged even to the girls outside and on Twitter, to the interviewers, to other artists, to fans.

Which is why Harry squeezed his eyes shut and squeezed Niall's waist and squeezed the words out of his mouth. "Nialler, babe, you were kidnapped." Louis glared at the alpha and Harry knew they'd be having this conversation later, this conversation forever. "We'd never, ever put you in subspace for that long. You were out for days, baby. You were missing and -"

"I know," Niall cut him off. "I - I guessed. I remember."

And the pack closed in around him, their hands slotting together and tangled with his, Louis clutching Niall's fingers. Zayn tangled in Liam's hair and Niall's shirt. They were young, so young, too young. And they were shattered.

But they were together. And alive. And even broken things might be mended, someday.

.

**one week later**

.

Niall came out of the highly recommended very discrete therapist's office. Liam and Louis were murmuring together in the waiting room, Louis with a magazine opened on his lap, Niall's face splashed in a two-page spread. Zayn and Harry were doing a press day, starting with Radio 1 and moving from there, print magazines and radio shows. It was their first day talking about it, but the world already knew what had happened.

Liam got up when he saw Niall. "So? What did she say?"

Niall shrugged. "She doesn't know what I want out of this. I don't know what I want out of this, to be honest. I remember what happened but it doesn't - it's like it happened to someone else." He fiddled with a hole in his jeans. "I'm okay, Alpha, I swear it."

"You don't have to be," Louis reminded him.

"But I am! I was really deep in subspace, guys. I don't know if I can even explain it. I was so far in subspace that everything seemed like a movie. Or - like a comic book. Like I was reading about something that happened ages ago."

"Lucky you."

The One Direction pack whipped their heads around to see Ashton, Luke, Michael, Calum, everyone being ushered in. Security was posted at every door, more security than they'd ever had in London. They hadn't seen 5sos since Louis hustled Niall out of Amsterdam, leaving the Australians behind.

Niall took one step forwards, towards Luke, who'd spoken. But Michael and Calum closed ranks, stepping smoothly in front of the lanky boy. Aston let out a low growl that had Niall's alphas on their feet, the packs staring each other down from across the room.

For a long moment Niall stared at Luke, the younger boy's eyes wide with hurt. Then the omega looked away. "I'm sorry, Lukey. Okay? I'm so sorry."

Luke crossed his arms over his chest and stared. Louis moved to put himself in front of Niall but the Irish boy waved him away. "It don't help anything, I know. But if I could change anything, ever, it'd be that you never got wrapped up in this whole thing."

Louis was ready to snap, to snarl, to protect Niall even from his friends, but he paused when he looked at Luke, really looked at him. Bags under his eyes and thinner, somehow, as if in ten days (had it only been ten days since the show? Nine days? Had it really been no time at all) he'd managed to lose weight he couldn't afford to lose. And Louis couldn't imagine it. He'd let himself feel resentment towards Luke, who was a beta, like Louis was a beta, and hadn't managed to protect Niall properly, but at the same time he couldn't let himself walk around in Luke's skin. Kidnapped from his dressing room. Raped, repeatedly. Someone had tried to kill Luke last week and he was still standing.

He felt himself soften, bone by bone, but Luke had softened first. "If you could change anything ever," the Aussie pointed out, "maybe you could wish that neither of us had to go through that, yeah?"

"Yeah," Niall shrugged. "But I don't remember it. Really, I don't. Liam's been having nightmares and I've been sleeping like a baby. You remember it." Niall spread his hands. "Anyway, Officer Bram called the other day and said he'd arrested almost fifty guys involved in that auction thing. So - if it wasn't me it would have been someone else. And at least it was me. At least I forgot about it. And I've got, you know, these divas to get me through it."

"Who're you calling a diva?"

"How many security guys did you wake up to come out with us today, Louis? We're in London."

The beta crossed his arms over his chest. "You know, this whole thing would be easier if you weren't such a fucking martyr."

"'M not a martyr. Who's the only Catholic in this room? Shut up, Tommo. Martyr's gotta suffer, yeah? And I'm not suffering so I'm not a martyr."

Ashton cleared his throat. "So as interesting as this conversation is, Luke's got an appointment."

But Luke didn't look at all pleased to be going into a therapist's office, even one who came highly recommended. "D'you know if the tour's still on? If, um, there's still gonna be a tour."

"Don't you all get the emails?" Liam asked. He and Louis were immersed in the business thing. Liam had been responding to more emails in the past week that Niall had answered his whole life.

Michael spoke up for the first time. "Man, they don't tell us anything."

"Well," Liam said, "Management's not going to refund sixty shows, so we're still going. Maybe another week. Maybe two." He bit his lip. "I mean, we're still in. You guys - no pressure - but, if you all have time -"

"As long as we have a job, you have a job," Louis said, firmly.

And finally, as if drawn together by magnets, the two packs met in the middle of the tiny waiting room. They weren't okay. Liam had nightmares and Louis and Harry fought day and night about the intricacies of relationships, about insane what-ifs, Zayn was quieter than ever and Niall talked and talked to fill the space. They were still broken inside. But perhaps, if they could keep doing this together, perhaps they'd be okay. Some day. Soon.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a little worried about this one, guys, so tell me what you think. It's the most graphic fic I've written (I prefer the aftermath of trauma to trauma itself) so any comments or gripes are appreciated.
> 
> Also if you'd like to see a One Direction or 5sos story (not necessarily an a/b/o one) leave a suggestion below.
> 
> Once again, dedicated to my little sister who said she liked the idea so if she's not scandalized you shouldn't be either.


End file.
